Howdy Neighbors!

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Rod Hall, Oklahoma’s State Veterinarian, who addressed concerns about the potential arrival of the New World screw worm in the United States. While the pest is still “several hundred miles south of the Rio Grande River,” Dr. Hall emphasized the importance of proactive planning. “We have a plan in place that is a draft plan. We’ve begun talking to some of our livestock industry people… We’re going to be fine-tuning it over the next several weeks,” he explained, adding, “We still believe it’s going to be several months before we get it—if we do get it.”

One of the key tools in the draft plan is controlling animal movement. Dr. Hall stated firmly, “USDA says, and I agree, animal movement restrictions are the best tool that we have when we get it to stop it.” These restrictions won’t be limited to livestock alone, as the screw worm can infect “any warm-blooded animal… even pets and humans.” Despite the likely inconvenience, he reassured producers: “We will find ways for them to [move livestock]. It’s just going to be a little more time-consuming and a little more involved.”

Reflecting on past control efforts, Dr. Hall discussed the sterile fly program developed in the 1950s, where USDA researchers learned that the female screw worm fly mates only once. “They came up with the idea that if they could irradiate male screw worm flies the eggs would not be viable.” This strategy had once eradicated the pest from the U.S., but “these flies that they’ve been using now for 70 years or so gradually lost their effectiveness. Don’t really understand how that happened or why.”

As Oklahoma farmers and ranchers continue to grapple with the ongoing farm labor shortage, Todd Miller, Founder and Owner of Head Honchos, provided valuable insights into the H-2A agricultural worker program.

The H-2A program, a cornerstone for agricultural labor since its origins as the Braceros program in the 1940s, enables U.S. producers to legally employ seasonal foreign workers. According to Miller, Head Honchos acts as a turnkey agency, guiding producers from the initial identification of labor needs through the complex immigration paperwork and even travel logistics to ensure workers arrive at the farm gate, ready to contribute.

“We handle all the immigration paperwork from start to finish–even acting as the travel agent on the back end to make sure we get the workers to your door,” said Miller. “It’s a tried-and-true process we’ve been perfecting for 25 years, providing a guaranteed solution to labor needs in over 40 states.”

George Patterson Nigh, a prominent figure in Oklahoma politics, died today at the age of 98. Nigh, a native of McAlester, served the state in various capacities for decades, including multiple terms as both lieutenant governor and governor.

Nigh began his career in public service early, elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1950 as a college senior. During his time in the legislature, he introduced the bill that designated “Oklahoma!” as the official state song.

He went on to serve four non-consecutive terms as Oklahoma’s lieutenant governor, a role that saw him briefly assume gubernatorial duties on multiple occasions due to resignations. In 1979, Nigh was elected governor, serving a full four-year term. He was subsequently re-elected in 1982, making him the first Oklahoma governor to win consecutive terms and the first to carry all 77 counties in the state. His governorship focused on areas such as education, tax policy, and infrastructure development.

Lankford Comments on Passing of Former Gov. Nigh

“I’m saddened to hear of the passing of former Governor George Nigh, a statesman who dedicated his life to serving Oklahoma. His legacy of leadership, optimism, and public service will be forever cherished. Our prayers are with his family and loved ones,” Senator James Lankford said.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond made the following remarks about former Gov. George Nigh, following Nigh’s passing this morning. “I am greatly saddened to learn that George Nigh, one of Oklahoma’s most noble and admirable leaders, has passed away. Few public servants have had the impact on our state that Gov. Nigh demonstrated. “I ask every Oklahoman to join me in honoring one of the finest men to ever lead our state and to pray for the loved ones he leaves behind. I hope they have white hats in Heaven.”

State Treasurer Todd Russ joins the state of Oklahoma in mourning the loss of former Governor George Nigh. “Governor George Nigh was a gracious, principled, and devoted public servant who led Oklahoma with optimism, civility, and a deep commitment to all Oklahomans. His impact on our state’s history and his example of bipartisan leadership will be remembered for generations. 

The halls of the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) convention echoed with cheers for the orange and black this year, as Oklahoma State University’s ACT Chapter proudly claimed the coveted Overall Chapter of the Year award.

Writing Division: OSU students consistently demonstrated their storytelling prowess, with Madison Paden taking 1st Place in Long Feature Story, Trinity White claiming 1st in Long Personality Profile, and Kelsey Dowdle earning 1st in News Story. Sara Howard led the way with a 1st in Short Feature Story, and Alison Chaney tied for 1st in Single Blog Entry.

Publications Division: The Cowboy Journal: Summer/Fall and The Cowboy Journal: Winter/Spring both secured 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the Magazine category, showcasing the chapter’s strong editorial and design capabilities. Jill Meador, Kate Schaefer, Bella Bowen, and Taylor Epperson also earned multiple placements in Brochure or Pamphlet.

Electronic Media Division: OSU students excelled in digital storytelling. McKenna Breeding tied for 1st in Long Video Package, and Karli Schwerdtfeger & Brilee Payne clinched 1st in Short Video Package, demonstrating innovative approaches to visual communication.

2025 ACT Distinguished Member of the Year: Went to Oklahoma Farm Report's own Maci Carter, who currently serves as the ACT President

Farm Director, KC Sheperd, also won the 2025 ACT Honored Professional award at the Conference.

Matt Crabtree, owner of Nomads Animal Encounter in Seminole, Oklahoma, didn’t originally set out to run an exotic animal rescue. “I actually went to college for marine biology. I thought I was going to be working with ocean animals.” But life took a turn. “My wife is actually from Holdenville and we started off just rescuing animals that got displaced from their homes.” What began with dogs and cats quickly expanded into donkeys, lambs, and eventually exotics like coatimundis and wallabies. After a viral Facebook post from a birthday party on their property, Matt says, “We quit our full-time jobs the next day, and this is what we’ve done ever since.”

Today, Nomads is home to a staggering array of animals. “We have coyotes, wolves, foxes, bobcats, and 47 foxes that live here full time. We have deer, yaks, emus, turkeys, raccoons, and three different species of monkeys.” Despite this range, they draw a line at dangerous apex predators. “We just don’t do any of the big crazy animals because we live right across the street from a school… we don’t need anybody getting eaten that sneaks over.”

Education is a significant part of Matt’s mission, particularly in dispelling myths about exotic pets. “Most of our animals are rescued, donated, confiscated or surrendered exotic pets.” He warns, “People get these exotic pets thinking it’s going to make them cool… and it could not be further from the truth.” Foxes, for instance, are “the most commonly rehomed exotic pet in North America,” largely due to their odor. “Red foxes they used to actually use their urine in stink bombs.” Even litter training fails: “It will literally run you out of your house.”

Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert has launched a new initiative titled “Capitol to Community”, a series of events held across the state over the interim with the goal of strengthening connections between legislators and the Oklahomans they serve.

The format of Capitol to Community will vary depending on the community, but the goal remains consistent: a full day on the ground, engaging directly with local leaders, businesses, educators and residents.

The first stop took place this week in Ada, Oklahoma, with Representative Ronny Johns, R-Ada, hosting members of the House Majority Caucus for a day-long visit focused on community engagement, listening and learning.

“This series is about stepping outside the Capitol walls and meeting people where they are,” said Speaker Hilbert. “It’s about listening to local challenges, celebrating community successes and ensuring that our legislative goals align with the everyday needs of Oklahomans.”

The pace of cattle harvest slowed even more last week with 549,000 head total, down 14,000 head from the week prior. A mechanical issue at one major plant last Monday pulled the head count lower that day, yet abundant harvest capacity did not pick up the slack by Friday, which has been the truncated harvest day in most recent weeks. 

After an early July pullback to the $224/cwt. average, fed cattle prices uncharacteristically ratcheted higher for three weeks, culminating in last week’s $238.80/cwt. steer average. 

At the beginning of July the nearby August Live Cattle contract started at $212/cwt., apparently favoring seasonal expectations leading to a major cash market break developing through the month. Since quite the opposite has occurred in the cash market, the August contract has had to hustle to catch up to the reality of the fundamentals. Thus, the August contract as of Tuesday this week traded at $229/cwt., still below the market average but in-line with the southern cash trading range of $230/cwt. last week. 

Checking the Markets...

OKC West in El Reno had a run of 5,661 head on Tuesday and Wednesday- National Beef Wire reports "OKC West Sets 26 Records in One Week – New Highs for 5,7,8 ,9 & 10 Weight Steers. OKC West (El Reno, OK) had one of the most remarkable weeks in its history, setting 15 new barn records on Wednesday alone, bringing the weekly total to 26 all-time highs. New records were established across key weight classes, including the 5-, 7-, 8-, 9-, and 10-weight steer categories."

Manager Bill Barnhart writes "Week after week the records keep falling. Who would have thought we would see these kinds of prices a year ago? USDA called our market 5.00-20.00 higher again this week. Positive news is feeding the flames of this market."

According to Cassie Fish at the Beef Read- "Kansas traded a few at $237 and a $235 bid noted. To compare, last week’s Kansas top was $237.50 and the average on 3,162 steers was $232.87. There is a general expectation that fireworks may well be seen in the cash market trade before this week is over."

OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.

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